Despite the union's concessions, however, its master contract with the car companies is chock full of cumbersome work rules.

WSJ: Bush Blinks on the Auto Bailout

Stackhouse, 38, can remember the failed attempt by Percy "Master P" Miller, who negotiated a disastrous incentive-laden contract between Ricky Williams and the New Orleans Saints in 1999.

WSJ: The Impact of Jay-Z's Moves